Graphic Design History – The Victorian Age Lecture

While researching Victorian graphic design I found a lecture from Parkland College's Graphic Design program on Victorian Graphic Design. A summary of the key points of the lecture are:

• The Victorians loved complex, ornate objects (which can be seen in their architecture and fashion) and this style was applied to their advertising and typography.
• The Victorian look was influenced by nostalgia for old objects.
• Elements on a page were often framed by decorative boarders.
• Symmetry was also used heavily within Victorian layouts and designs.
• Illustrations were often used instead of photography.
• Faux cloth banners were commonly used to hold text.
• Victorian style tended to use the majority of the page which led to busy layouts/minimal white space.
• Typography often appeared on a curve or wave.
• The Victorian style also tended to romantacise situations to sell products.
• Decorative typefaces were often mixed with chunky serif fonts as well as sans-serif and condensed typefaces (most probably to squash more information into the crowded designs).

The lecture slideshow can be viewed in full here.